


Midnight Ride.

by biblio_witch



Series: On My Whole Heart. [Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.] [2]
Category: PPZ, Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016) RPF, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith
Genre: F/M, PPZ - Freeform, Short & Sweet, Short One Shot, otp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-19
Updated: 2016-02-19
Packaged: 2018-05-21 14:35:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6055195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/biblio_witch/pseuds/biblio_witch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A letter from an old friend begs Darcy for his aid, and Elizabeth refuses to let him ride alone into danger.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Midnight Ride.

"You weren't in your room when I checked for you, Elizabeth." Her mother said, eyebrows raised as Elizabeth took her seat at the table. Her mother and Kitty were present, though Mary was absent and said to be in the music room. Catherine De Bourgh, Anne and Darcy all sat silent. Bingley and Jane were still out walking, and had sent a note to say they would not be attending breakfast. 

Everyone there suspected that she'd been with Darcy, especially her sharp-eyed mother, but being alone with your fiance was not the done thing to do. Usually, if they were going to be alone together they would have to inform someone else, such as one of Elizabeth's parents or Catherine herself. It was improper to be alone with your fiance without anyone knowing; it invited petty rumours and suspicions. 

Of course, Darcy hadn't given that a thought when he'd knocked quietly on her door before dawn, smirking as he dared her to spar with him. 

"I rose early to train." She explained as she buttered some toast. Technically, it was in fact the truth. Though she was careful to avoid her fiance's eye as she spread raspberry jam onto the bread and spooned sugar into her tea. 

"Did you indeed?" Her mother asked, her eyes on Darcy and his still damp hair. Elizabeth grimaced, bracing for the onslaught of her mother's outrage, and she even opened her mouth to question her daughter further.

But at that exact moment the butler entered with the morning mail. Elizabeth relaxed. Mother would not cause a scene when reminded so completely of Catherine's presence; she didn't mind hollering at her daughters in private, but once she remembered the company she kept, she folded into silence.

There was the paper for Catherine and a pile of envelopes, Elizabeth a note from Charlotte inviting her to afternoon tea - Darcy invited too on request of Mr Collins - and Darcy his own letter.

Elizabeth was thinking of all the possible conversation topics that she could share with Mr Collins and Charlotte, because if she did not have a topic prepared for them to discuss then Mr Collins had a habit of prattling on of his own accord, and then Elizabeth would be stuck there for half the night. She was just opening her mouth to invite Darcy along, when she looked up to see his expression. 

It was dark with worry, his mouth a thin line of anxiety and his eyebrows scrunched in what appeared to be grim determination. 

"Darcy?" She asked, automatically concerned. "What is it?" 

He looked up at her, a strained smile settling into place while he folded the letter swiftly and slipped it into his inside pocket. "Nothing of note." 

"Well then," Catherine's interest had been caught at the change in her nephew. "Who was it from?"

"A friend by the name of Henry Summons, he resides in Surrey." He replied, and huffed in irritation when Catherine continued to stare from her single piercing eye. "We trained together when we were younger, his father was close friends with my own." 

"And I take it everything is all right?" Catherine's dark eyebrows rose, "I hear Surrey is not the most stable of counties." 

"It is not," he agreed, "Though his estate is vast. It is surely well-protected." 

But Elizabeth knew he was lying. His stare was too hard, his knuckles too white around his glass. Something was terribly wrong, and it seemed as though Darcy was determined to set it right. 

 

Elizabeth had been sneaking around all day, and finally settled to wait on the seat of one of the large bay windows in the foyer. It was dark outside, and mist coiled around the lower trunks of the trees and crept over the grass. The moon was a mere slither, but it was enough to make out the soldiers standing watch along the inside of the fences. Only a couple stood sentry at night, but the spiked walls were protection enough. Or at least, that's what they all assumed. 

Darcy had done his own fair share of sneaking around. He'd gone to speak to a soldier in the barracks building at the back of the house, and then he'd visited the stables. After that, he'd requested an audience with Catherine in her study, and though Elizabeth had cast aside her civility to listen at the keyhole, there was nothing but low murmurs that she couldn't make out. When he'd emerged, Darcy had retired straight to his quarters. She'd knocked on his door to invite him to Charlotte's - though Elizabeth herself had missed the appointment - but he'd declined, saying he wasn't feeling all too well, and that he was set on resting for a while. She'd wished him better, given him a kiss on the cheek, and took her leave. 

She hadn't missed the half-packed satchel lying open on his bed. 

The tap of footsteps came quickly and quietly from the top of the stares, and she knew it to be him without having to peer around the corner. She waited, calmly cleaning her dagger with a rag, and waited still as he passed her, pausing to peer out into the front garden, where the stable boy had tied his horse - fully saddled - to a low hanging branch.

"Midnight ride?" 

Darcy whirled, sword already drawn and glinting in the dim light of the sconces. He wasn't even afraid, even when he assumed it was an assailant, someone he would now have to fight, there was simply a calm concentration on his face. 

He saw it to be her, and while he cursed viciously under his breath, he relaxed and straightened, slipping the sword back into it's sheath before turning and scowling in accusation. 

"I knew you were up to something." He growled, eyes narrow. 

"Honestly, darling, you really aren't permitted to judge on that front." She smiled absently. 

"Why are you in riding gear?" Darcy demanded, striding forward to inspect her more clearly. 

"I'm coming with you." 

"You most certainly are not." 

"The way is too dangerous, especially at night when the undead are more active. They're aware enough to know to stick to the roads for a better chance of feeding." 

"You speak as if I don't already know all of this." He rolled his dark eyes, irritated. 

"Then why, must I ask, are you riding out into the night as if you don't know all of that?" 

"My friend-" He sighed, scrubbing a hand through his hair before he lifted her feet to sit at the window, settling her boots in his lap. "Henry... He's been bitten." 

"Oh, lord." Elizabeth murmured, reaching for his hand. He clasped hers tight. 

"He has a wife and two young children. His parents are still alive, as is his older brother. They all reside in one estate for safety precautions. Henry is a great swordsman, and as such feels it's his personal responsibility to protect the estate. He was bitten nearly two days ago, and asks that I be the one to take his life." 

"But why?" Elizabeth gasped, how could he ask his friend to do such a thing? 

"We have great respect for one another," Darcy sighed, "And his love for his family is greater still. He would not ask one of them to do it, and his father is too proud to ask someone of lower birth to kill him." 

"So you are the one he deems worthy to end his torment?" He nodded, "I'm coming with you." 

"Elizabeth-" Darcy groaned, turning to argue. 

She held up a hand. "I'm coming with you. You can't stop me, my horse is already saddled and waiting, and I'm already packed. I won't allow you to fight your way there, undertake such a traumatic task, and fight your way back. Not alone." 

He stared at her for a long moment, eyes anguished and hands clenched tight around one of hers. He was warring with himself, she knew. Ignore the plight of his dear friend, thus dishonouring him, or allowing his fiance to come along and risk her life in the process. There was no other option, either the both of them were going, or the both of them were staying. 

Elizabeth stood and turned to rest her hands on his shoulders, staring down into his eyes to show the determination in hers. 

"If we are together, everything will be all right." She promised him, bending to press a kiss to his forehead. His hands captured her face, the warmth of his palms seeping into her cheeks, his stare heavy and calculating. Finally, he stood, and only a moment passed before he wrapped his arms tight around her waist and drew her tight to him. 

She, in turn, wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder, breathing in the scent of him as she stole some of his warmth. 

"I love you, Elizabeth Bennett." 

"I love you too, Fitzwilliam Darcy." 

He drew back for a moment and held her at arms length, staring stubbornly into her face. "You must promise, swear it, that you will not willingly endanger yourself. I don't want you to come with me, not when I know what lies on the road, but I know there's no stopping you." He smiled for a moment, "So I won't call for Catherine's guards to lock you up in your quarters, but I will have you promise that you won't throw yourself recklessly into battle. Not for me, not for Henry, not for anything. I couldn't bear it, Elizabeth." 

"I swear it. On my whole heart." She smiled. Though she knew that their ideas of recklessness were two very different things. He thought she was reckless if she endangered herself to protect him, Elizabeth thought that was simply what needed to be done for the person you loved more than all others. 

He nodded after a moment, bent to press a kiss to her knuckles, and together they strolled out of the doors and into the night. 

**Author's Note:**

> I've got a lot of ideas for these two so this series will be updated regularly depending on how busy I am, though I'm still open to requests for one-shots and the like so you can send those to my tumblr - bibliowitch, or you can just leave a comment on any of these works. Thanks for reading!


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